Legislature(2007 - 2008)BELTZ 211

02/22/2007 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS


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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 7 FELONS' RIGHT TO VOTE TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 7(STA) Out of Committee
*+ SB 35 APPROP: FUNDS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 35(STA) Out of Committee
+= SB 36 SENTENCING FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED CRIMES TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 36(STA) Out of Committee
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
= HB 21 DISPOSAL OF STATE FLAG
Moved CSHB 21(STA) Out of Committee
= SB 43 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PERM. FUND DIVIDENDS
Moved CSSB 43(STA) Out of Committee
         SB  43-CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PERM. FUND DIVIDENDS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR McGUIRE announced the consideration of SB 43.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:08:43 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GENE THERRIAULT, Alaska  State Legislature, sponsor of SB
43, said  he had  an amendment,  labeled 25-LS0365\A.1,  Cook, as                                                               
follows:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
      Page 2, line 8, following "contribution.":                                                                                
          Insert "The electronic  dividend application form                                                                     
      must include  notice that  no money  contributed will                                                                     
      be   used  for   administrative  costs   incurred  in                                                                     
      implementing  this section  and that  money from  the                                                                     
      dividend fund will not be used for that purpose."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
      Page 3, lines 21 - 24:                                                                                                    
           Delete all material and insert:                                                                                      
           "(d) Unless an appropriation specifically                                                                            
      directs that the money be  used for costs incurred in                                                                     
      implementing  this section,  the  department may  not                                                                     
      use money  from the dividend fund  for administrative                                                                     
      costs incurred  in implementing this section  even if                                                                     
      it has  been appropriated for costs  of administering                                                                     
      the  dividend program.  The  department  may not  use                                                                     
      money  contributed  under  (a) of  this  section  for                                                                     
      administrative  costs incurred  in implementing  this                                                                     
      section. Contributions  shall be distributed  to each                                                                     
      organization as soon as practicable."                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT said  the amendment makes clear  that no money                                                               
from  the dividend  fund or  the general  fund will  be used  for                                                               
administrative  expenses. The  bill  sets up  a three-year  pilot                                                               
program, and  the Rasmuson  Foundation has  agreed to  fund those                                                               
administrative expenses. This makes it  clear that for the three-                                                               
year period all the costs will  be borne by Rasmuson. He was told                                                               
that  it didn't  make sense  to discuss  funding after  the three                                                               
years,  because the  program will  sunset  at that  time. If  the                                                               
legislature  chooses  to  extend  the program,  it  can  allow  a                                                               
portion of the contributions to fund it, he stated.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  McGUIRE motioned  to adopt  25-LS0365\A.1 as  Amendment 1.                                                               
Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GREEN  asked  about  a letter  from  the  Department  of                                                               
Revenue (DOR).                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The Committee took an at-ease from 9:11:41 AM to 9:12:45 AM.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT said  he talked with dividend  staff, and they                                                               
are considering a  new database system. The  DOR letter discusses                                                               
that  new payment  system,  and  the $300,000  in  FY08 would  be                                                               
covered by  the Rasmuson  Foundation. He is  not expecting  it to                                                               
impact this  year's dividend. He  believes that with  that amount                                                               
of money  and with the  change in  the dividend system,  that the                                                               
change will be built in.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:14:11 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR FRENCH asked  what the DOR means by  limiting the charity                                                               
assignment, and if that is for everyone or per applicant.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT said  he wasn't sure, but he  would imagine it                                                               
is  one charity  assignment per  applicant. He  said the  DOR can                                                               
only do what the technology allows it to do.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR McGUIRE said  it could become an evolving  process, and the                                                               
sponsor could discuss this between now and the finance hearing.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT agreed,  and said  the finance  committee can                                                               
scrutinize the fiscal note.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  McGUIRE said  a compromise  is to  run a  pilot or  have a                                                               
sunset, but that is something  she would not support because once                                                               
the infrastructure is in, "you'd want to keep it going."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR McGUIRE moved  to report SB 43 [as  amended] from committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal  note(s).                                                               
There being no objection, CSSB 43(STA) moved from committee.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:17:26 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                

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